AEducaAR, Anatomical Education in Augmented Reality: A Pilot Experience of an Innovative Educational Tool Combining AR Technology and 3D Printing.

Alessia De Stefano,Anna Maria Billi,Stefano Ratti,Laura Cercenelli,Emanuela Marcelli,Giovanni Badiali,Alessandra Ruggeri,Lucia Manzoli,Claudio Marchetti

doi:10.3390/ijerph19031024

Abstract

Gross anatomy knowledge is an essential element for medical students in their education, and nowadays, cadaver-based instruction represents the main instructional tool able to provide three-dimensional (3D) and topographical comprehensions. The aim of the study was to develop and test a prototype of an innovative tool for medical education in human anatomy based on the combination of augmented reality (AR) technology and a tangible 3D printed model that can be explored and manipulated by trainees, thus favoring a three-dimensional and topographical learning approach. After development of the tool, called AEducaAR (Anatomical Education with Augmented Reality), it was tested and evaluated by 62 second-year degree medical students attending the human anatomy course at the International School of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Bologna. Students were divided into two groups: AEducaAR-based learning (“AEducaAR group”) was compared to standard learning using human anatomy atlas (“Control group”). Both groups performed an objective test and an anonymous questionnaire. In the objective test, the results showed no significant difference between the two learning methods; instead, in the questionnaire, students showed enthusiasm and interest for the new tool and highlighted its training potentiality in open-ended comments. Therefore, the presented AEducaAR tool, once implemented, may contribute to enhancing students’ motivation for learning, increasing long-term memory retention and 3D comprehension of anatomical structures. Moreover, this new tool might help medical students to approach to innovative medical devices and technologies useful in their future careers.

Highlights

Gross anatomy is a complex and fundamental element for medical students in their education [1]
The augmented reality (AR) tool on the tablet seems to guarantee a more robust tracking when changing the user viewpoint with respect to the tracked 3D printed skull, while the HoloLens app exhibited a noticeable lag when the skull is manipulated by the student
Comparing the results for practical tasks performed after the studying session, the overall percentage of anatomical structures which was correctly marked on the 3D printed skull was 53% in both groups (Figure 7a)

Summary

Introduction

Gross anatomy is a complex and fundamental element for medical students in their education [1]. Anatomical knowledge supports the examination of a patient, the formation of a diagnosis, and communication of these findings to the patient and other medical professionals [2], in Europe, the Bologna Process [3] led to use of the European. Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) to correlate the volume of learning. Based on the defined learning outcomes and their associated workload, the amount of.

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